or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Amanda's father was 40 year old David Dickson, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner. Toomer was also of mixed race. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Try again later. Kent Anderson Leslie's 1995 biography Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893, was written about her life, and from this book came the 2000 film, "A House Divided," starring Sam Waterston and Jennifer Beals as David and Amanda Dickson. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. Before the supreme court decision, Dickson purchased a large house at 452 Telfair Street, in the wealthiest section of the then-integrated city of Augusta. Amanda America Dickson Born 20 Nov 1849 in Hancock County, Georgia Ancestors Daughter of David Dickson and Julia F Dickson [sibling (s) unknown] Wife of Nathan Toomer married 1892 in Hancock, Georgia Descendants Mother of Julian Henry Dickson and Charles Green Dickson Died 11 Jun 1893 [location unknown] The son of this marriage was Jean Toomer, the author of the novel Cane (1923). David Dickson was a rich white Georgian who attentively raised, educated, and supported Amanda America Dickson, the daughter he fathered by one of his many slaves. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. The family has become part of the educated, professional black elite in the United States. Learn more about merges. She is Mrs. Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. . who was raised and educated in Davids household. Born into slavery, she was the child of David Dickson, a white planter, and Julia Frances Lewis (Dickson), a young enslaved woman of his who was thirteen when her daughter was born. Leslie, Kent. [1]:69, Years after having completed her teaching degree, Amanda America Elegant Bridals, a bridal and special occasions destination, is a passion project for Jane and her husband, Fathy, who opened the shop in 2001. Davids death and his surprising will became news throughout the country. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, . 20072023 Blackpast.org. She learned to dress in a modest, elegant fashion and how to present herself as a "lady". Kent Anderson Leslie. In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. She died on June 11, 1893, at age 43. The higher court stated that the rights of each race are controlled and governed by the same enactments or principles of lawin other words, whatever rights and privileges belonged to a bastard white child belonged to a mixed-race child as well. [1]:123, When David Dickson died suddenly on February 18, 1885,[1]:33 Amanda America Dickson inherited the majority of his vast estate, which included 17,000 acres of land. She was the main heir to the estate of over 15,000 acres valued at $309,543. Who was Amanda America Dickson Toomer? At that time she and her children took the last name of Dickson. New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 17, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/, Leslie, K. A. Eubanks died two years later. Find-A-Grave, Amanda America Dickson Toomer, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13428942; Mark "Amanda America Dickson." Dickson, 1849-1893 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1996); Born November 20, 1849, on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia (Hancock County), Amanda America was the product of her 12-year-old mother, an enslaved house servant, Julia Francis Lewis, and 40-year-old David Dickson, a well-known agricultural reformer of that era and one of the wealthiest planters in the area. In his will David Dickson stated that the administration of his estate was to be left to the sound judgment and unlimited discretion of Amanda Dickson without interference from any quarter, including any husband she might have. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Get a one year print subscription (8 issues) for only $24! She learned to read and write, and assumed the social graces of white Southern affluence. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Her birth was the result of the rape of her enslaved mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, when Julia was twelve years old. Woman of color, daughter of privilege : Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 / Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege is the life story of an elite woman of color who lived within the social and economic systems of slavery and quasi-freedom in nineteenth-century Georgia. She was held in high esteem by those who came to know her because of her wealth, elegance, and intelligence. The disgruntled relatives then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision in 1887. based on information from your browser. At the time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the county. Dickson left home briefly again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. Before the supreme court decision, Dickson purchased a large house at 452 Telfair Street, in the wealthiest section of the then-integrated city of Augusta. Legally, Amanda was still a slave until her grandmother's death in 1864. [1]:117 Her health was fragile throughout her second marriage, as she had several health problems which required the continual attention of her family physician, Thomas D. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Because of anti-miscegenation laws, they couldn't legally marry in Georgia. As Henry Toomers personal assistant, Nathan Toomer learned the manner of the white upper class. Amanda was legally held as Elizabeth's slave until her death. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. His work to protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, he died suddenly, leaving Amanda devasted. [1]:41 Beginning in 1801, Georgia had prohibited slaveholders from independently freeing their slaves, requiring an act of legislature (seldom given), for each request. Read all Director John Kent Harrison Writers Her story is unique. Come celebrate the 2022 results. In 1866, 17-year-old Amanda married her white first cousin, Charles Eubanks, a recently returned Confederate Army veteran and together they had two children, Julian Henry and Charles Green. Born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, Toomer had been the slave of Richard Pilkinson of Chatham County, North Carolina but was later sold to John Toomer of Houston County, Georgia. Please reset your password. May her Soul Be At Rest. [1]:47. Therefore, they either never officially married, or they married out of state before returning to Georgia (but there is no surviving proof of a legal marriage. By the time the courts settled the Dickson will case, she had firmly ensconced herself in this new home and decorated it with Brussels carpets, oil paintings, a walnut dining room table and chairs, and books. Try again. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. (1-1) Philip Brown, of Westbrook, recipient of a Spirit of America Foundation Award. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 10 March 2003, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/. a Sort of Mystery: Jean Toomers Georgia Heritage, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 (winter 1993): 789-809. In today's episode, we are looking into the life of Amanda America Dickson a slave who inherited her fathers fortune becoming one of the wealthiest African Americans in the country! Just one grandparent can lead you to many Amanda was not only one of the wealthiest Blacks in the U.S., but also one of the wealthiest people in the country. She was born on November 20 or 21, 1849, on the Hancock County plantation of her father, the famous white agricultural reformer, David Dickson (1809-85). Clinging to his body, Amanda cried, "Now I am an orphan,'' though her mother was still alive.The bulk of his estate, 17,000 acres, valued at $500,000, went to Amanda -- making her the largest property owner in Hancock County.On July 14, 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Ga. Amanda got sick. When her father died on February 18, 1885, Amanda became the center of a famous lawsuit. On his death he scandalized Hancock county society by bequeathing the vast bulk of his estate (a share with a value estimated at more than $300,000) to his only child, Amanda America Dickson (1849-1893). 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. Shutters are being built for the house's front. of Thomas Eubanks and Nancy Dickson [sibling(s) unknown] Husband of Amanda America (Dickson) Toomer married about 1865 (to . After her father's death in 1885, Amanda Dickson inherited his estate. She died intestate, but the Dickson will stipulated that her sons receive the inheritance upon her death, which included $100,000 to each son and part of the remaining $247,000. [1]:117 Nathan Toomer was a wealthy, educated African-American man of her class. This house still stands on 452 Telfair Street. That cotton was produced by the enslaved men, women and children of African heritage, on whose labor the wealth of the South depended. Her enslaved mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, was just 13 when she was born. Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County upon his death in 1885. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Executors appraised the estate, which included 17,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington counties, at $309,000. . The music, too, feels familiar -- sorrowful wails to let us know that slavery was sad and evil, as if we didn't know. It was an unhappy marriage, and in 1870, Amanda left her husband, and returned to the Dickson Plantation, where she was legally given the surname of Dickson for herself and her sons. A system error has occurred. While more than 0 listings in Dickson, TN in January . cemeteries found in Houston County, Georgia, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. According to obituaries, Amanda was a socialite involved in many types of philanthropic and charitable work, including donations to Paine College and Trinity CME Church (where her funeral was held]. For newspaper articles concerning the Dickson estate and will, and Amanda Dickson, refer to The Atlanta Constitution June 12, 1893; June 14, 1887; June 19, 1887; November 15, 1885; July 5, 1885. 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